Folding hat-rack and kneeling-stool for pews.



r. x. AUMANN, JR. FOLDING HAT BACK AND KNEELING STOOL FOR PEWS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1907.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

QWi tmoow nu: uoluzls FETikS co, WASRINGTDN, n. c.

FRANK X. AUMANN, JR, OF MANITOWOG, WISCONSIN.

FOLDING HAT-RACK AND KNEELING-STOOL FOR PEWS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908'.

Application filed August 5, 1907. Serial No. 387,165.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK X. AUMANN,

Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Manitowoc, in the county of Manitowoc and State of WVisconsin, have invented a new and useful Folding Hat-Rack and Kneeling-Stool for Pews, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a folding hat rack and kneeling stools for pews.

The object of the present invention is to provide a hat rack and a kneeling stool adapted to be readily applied to the pews of a church, or other place of worship, and capable of being compactly folded beneath a pew, so as to be out of the way when not in use. A further object of the invention is to provide a hat rack, which will be automatically operated to fold it beneath the pew and to move it from its folded position to its po sition for use, when the kneeling stool is moved to and from its folded position.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims here to appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing :Figure 1 is a perspec-' tive view of a pew provided with a hat rack and kneeling stool, constructed inaccord' ance with this invention and shown arranged for use. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a similar view, the hat rack and the kneeling stool being folded beneath the seat of the pew.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

1 designates a kneelingstool, consisting of a top or kneeling board and supporting ends or legs 2, which are provided at the front with extensions 3, and the latter are connected with the ends of a pew 4: by suitable pivots 5. Thekneeling stool may be of any preferred construction, and it is preferably provided at the lower face of the top with a central longitudinal reinforcing cleat or bar 6 for enabling the stool to sustain the weight of a plurality of persons.

The pew, which may be constructed in any preferred manner, is provided at its ends with enlarged base portions 7, on which the pivots 5 are mounted, and the kneeling stool, which extends rearwardly from the bottom of the pew, when in position for use, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, is adapted to be swung upwardly beneath the rear portion of the seat 8 of the pew, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 8 of the drawing. The ends or legs of the stool are connected by short inclined links 9 with inclined levers 10, fulcrumed at their lower ends at the inner side faces of the base portions 7 of the ends of the pew by means of suitable pivots 11, and connected at their upper ends by suitable pivots 12 with a hat rack 13. The hat rack 18 consists of a shelf, extending longitudinally of the pew and arranged at an inclination, when in position for use, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. The pivots 12, which project longitudinally from the ends of the hat rack or shelf, are located adjacent to the rear edge of the same and consists of studs, having flattened heads, disposed longitudinally of the end edges of the hat rack or shelf and fitting in slots 12* of the upper ends of the levers 10. The slots 12 extend longitudinally of the levers, and they are adapted to permit the heads of the pivots 12 to pass through them when the levers are in the same plane as the hat rack or shelf, and as the levers and the hat rack 01' shelf do not assume such a position, when the parts are in use, there is no liability of the levers becoming disengaged from the pivots 12. The said hat rack is provided at its ends adjacent its front edge with pivots or studs 14:, which slide in guides or ways 15 of the ends of the pew. The hat rack, which may be constructed in any preferred manner, preferably consists of a central panel and front and rear longitudinal bars, the rear longitudinal bar being adapted to provide a shoulder 16 for preventing hats from accidentally slipping off the hat rack, owing to the slight inclination of the same.

The guides or ways 15 are preferably in the form of castings, and consist of upper front horizontal portions and lower inclined rear portions. hen the kneeling stool is arranged in a horizontal position for use, the lever 10 is arranged at an inclination and extends upwardly and rearwardly, and it forms a support for the rear portion of the hat rack, the front portion thereof being supported by the lower endsof the guides or ways 15. When the parts are in these posi- -ti.ons, the link 9 extends upwardly and forwardly :froin the end or leg of the kneeling stool-to the lever, and its upper front end is connected with the same near the center thereof by a suitable pivot 17. The pivot 17 consists of a headed stud, which is arranged in aslot l7 'of the lever 10. The head of the pivot-is flattened and extends longitudinally of the link, and the slot 17 is disposed longitudinally of the lever, so that the stud is adapted to be introduced into and removed from the slot when the link and the lever are in the same longitudinal plane, and as these parts'do not assu-me such position when in use, there is no liability of them becoming accidentally dis connected. The lower end of the link is secured to-the outer face of the end or leg 2 by means of a pivot 18, arranged at the inner or rear end of the extension 3. lVhen the kneeling stool is swung upwardly and forwardly from the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, motion is communicated to-the le- Verthrough the medium of the link 9, and the hat rack is moved forwardly and upwardly. When the parts are folded, the center of gravity of the kneeling stool is in advance of the Y pivot 5, whereby the parts will remain in their folded position.

7 Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure'by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a pew, of a kneeling stool pivotally connected with the pew and arranged to swing-upward beneath the seatof the same, a hat rack movable backwardly and forwardly to arrange it-for use and'to carry it beneath the seat of the pew, and means-for connecting the hat rack with the kneeling stool, wherebyt-heformer will be automatically operated by the latter.

2. The combination of a folding pivotally mounted kneeling stool, guides, a hat rack slidable in the guides, and means for connecting the hat rack with the kneelingstool.

3.- Thecombination of a folding pivotally mounted kneeling stool, guides, a hat rack slidable in the guides, a pivotally mounted lever connected with the hat rack and form ling a support for the same, and means for connecting the lever with the kneeling stool.

4. The combination of a pivotally .-mount ed kneeling stool, guides located above and the guide,

rear of the said pivots,

ranged to r forwardly to of, and links connected with the levers and with the kneeling stool. I

5. The comblnation of'a guide designed to be secured to a pew and consisting of an approximatelyhorizontal front portion and an inclined rear portion, a hat rack provided at its front with a pivot 'operati-ngin and a lever connected with the hat rack :at a pointin rear of the said-pivot and fulcrumed 'at a point beneath the said hat rack to form a support for the same.

6. The combination of a guide designedto besecured to a pew and consisting of an ap proximately horizontal front; portion and .an inclined rear portion, a hat rackprovided at its front with a pivot operating in the guide, a lever connected with themhat rack at a pointin rear of the said pivot and fill- :crumed at a-point'beneath the said hat rack to form a support for the same, and a pivoted kneeling stool connected with the lever and adapted to actuate the hat rack to carry the same to and from its folded posi- -tion.

7. The'combination with a pew, of guides arranged atthe ends of the pew beneath the seat of the same and each having an approximately horizontal front portion and an inclined rear portion, a folding hat rack consisting =of a shelfprovided near its front edge with pivots operating in the said'guides,

inclined levers fulcrumed at their lower ends beneath the hat rack and pivoted'at their upper ends to the said ihat' rack-"in a: kneelingstool pro vided at its front with extensions pivotally connected with the ends of'the pew and ar swing upwardly-beneath the seat of the same, and links extending from the kneeling stool andconnected with the levers at points between the ends thereof.

.8. The'combination with apew, of a' kneelingstool movable backwardly and forwardly to :arrange it for use at the back of the :pew

and to carry it beneath'the seat of the same,

a hat rack also movable backwardly and extend it in rear of the pew for use and'to carry it beneath the same, and means for connecting the hat rack with the kneeling stool, whereby the former will be automatically operated 'by the latter and the hat rack drawn out when the stool is ar ranged in :position forms.

9. The combination with a pivotally mounted hat rack arranged to fold beneath apew and to be projected therefrom, a pivotally mounted kneeling stool also' foldable abe neath'the pew, and means for connecting the hatrack and the kneelingstool, whereby they are caused to move inward and outward simultaneously, the connection between said parts serving to draw the hat rack outwardly to a position above and in advance of the kneeling stool when the latter is in use, and to throw the hat rack back beneath the seat when the stool is folded up out of the way.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afliXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK X. AUMANN, JR.

Witnesses:

L. A. SGHMITZ, EDNA BOpDER. 

